Diapers & Deployments The SkillMil Podcast

Making the decision to leave the military can be very scary, no matter how many years you've served. You've been told what job you will do, where you'll do it, how much you'll get paid to do it. The fear of not knowing what job lies ahead for you as a civilian can add a lot of added stress mentally and financially. Michael went through this as a service member and Serena did as a spouse, and have talked about their experiences on past episodes. Wouldn't it be nice for a service member and/or their spouse to be able to chat with someone whos already in corporate America?

"American Corporate Partners (ACP) is a national nonprofit organization focused on helping returning veterans and active duty spouses find their next careers through one-on-one mentoring, networking and online career advice. ACP engages the American people in a unique volunteer opportunity to provide career guidance to returning military as they transition back into civilian life. We believe that the biggest issue facing our returning service members is not unemployment – it’s underemployment. ACP focuses on helping veterans and active duty spouses find meaningful employment opportunities and develop long-term careers."

We have guest Richard Comitz, Senior Vice Present of American Corporate Partners on to tell us all about this great organization for veterans and their spouses!

https://www.acp-usa.org/

A lot of people hit the new year with piled-on debt from the holidays. We all want to give our families the world, but sometimes that entails living beyond our means and carrying on the burden of debt for years and years. Perhaps you need the newest car in the driveway with a monthly payment as much as your paycheck. Are you able to save money each month for retirement? Are you able to pay more than the minimum payment on however many credit cards you may have? These are all questions we've asked ourselves at some point in our lives. Michael and Serena found an expert to ask!

We talk to Certified Financial Advisor, Nicole Augugliaro, about changing our mindset about money and getting to retirement by being strategic. We barely scratch the surface with Nicole, but her services are available near and far! No need to be local to chat with Nicole and get on the right path to financial success.

Watch the interview on YouTube: https://youtu.be/OiMd_dTjIa0

Connect with Nicole LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicole-augugliaro-b98008149/

If you've been paying attention to the real estate market the past year, I'm sure you have seen how wild its been. I've never thought about investing in property, but times like these make me think about it.

Michael and Serena talk to guest Jay Johnson, CEO of Landing Collective Real Estate Solutions and Host of Expert(ish) podcast. Landing Collective Real Estate Solutions is a Veteran-Owned, Team Based Organization that helps others buy, sell and invest with ease.

https://www.landingcollective.com/

https://www.yourpcspartners.com/

Are you looking for your next career step after your military Service? Are you within 180 days of transition? If your active duty and haven't heard of the Skillbridge program, you need to listen to this podcast episode! Discover opportunities to participate in training and development with industry and employers who are seeking the high-quality skills that you bring to the table.

Today we have a guest from our SkillMil family, SkillMil Skillbridge Program Manager, Liza! She's going to give the details about the Skillbridge program specifically offered with SkillMil. You wont want to miss this episode if you're still trying to decide what you're going to do when you grow up!

https://www.skillmil.com/skillbridgejobs

https://skillbridge.osd.mil/

On this veterans day 2021, SkillMil wants to thank all of the Veterans and their families who have served and sacrificed for this country.

TW: Veteran Suicide

Todays show we get in deep with Nick Howland, CEO and Board Director of The Fire Watch. "The Fire Watch is Northeast Florida’s fight to end veteran suicide. We are uniting our War Fighters and allies to swiftly activate local assets, stand watch, and build a life-saving network. To date, no city, county, or state has systemically reduced its veteran suicide rate. This effort is the first of its kind in the country."

https://www.thefirewatch.org/

Veterans Crisis Line 800-273-8255

On this week's show, Michael and Serena talk to Jaime Chapman, Founder and COO of Military Spouse Chamber of Commerce.

The Military Spouse Chamber of Commerce's mission is to ensure that all active duty and veteran military spouse business owners have the tools and resources they need to strengthen their families, communities, and our economy. Founded by military spouse entrepreneurs with over 30 years of collective experience in the nonprofit and for-profit world. They are determined to provide the best in class resources to help our spouses succeed.

https://milspousechamber.org/

Learning is the Engine to Success and www.AristaLearn.com fuels that engine. AristaLearn is a woman-owned, minority, small business dedicated to continual learning and professional achievement. Their dynamic training programs help professionals learn at the pace of technology. Special programs for active military personnel, family members, and veterans include 50+ approved professional certificates via www.ArmyIgnitED.com for Active Army and Army Reserves members. Certificates include Project Management Certifications, Security, Infrastructure, Blockchain, Human Resources, Strategic Leadership, Word, Excel and more. Those who have access to the GI Bill Post 9-11 can take their IT Leadership Certificate Program which helps participants achieve 10-13 high-demand industry certifications at an accelerated page. Students can access the classes from anywhere in the world, any time.

Contact: [email protected] and mention SkillMil or this podcast Diapers & Deployment for special discounts!

Shopping small is more important than ever these days. With the boom of Amazon and big box stores, the small local shops seem to be glossed over, especially now during the strange times of Covid where most people prefer to shop online. Serena and Mike have a guest today that came up with a great idea to bring all those small shops, run by veteran and first responders spouses, to one place! We have Monica Fullerton on today, founder and CEO of Spouse-ly. The mission of Spouse-ly is “to support and champion military families seeking income-generating opportunities no matter where the military life takes them.” Their platform provides a place for military and first-responder families to share their creative sides with the world. By choosing to shop Spouse-ly you are supporting dreams, providing flexibility & stability to a community that faces the unknown frequently. With the holidays right around the corner, yes I said it, you will want Spouse-ly on your shopping list.

www.spouse-ly.com

On this SkillMil podcast episode of Diapers and Deployments, Serena and Michael have on another musical star! Travis Marvin, from the Travis Marvin Band is on the show today to talk about Cars 4 Heroes, a charity where he sits on the board. Travis gives us all the details on giving back to veterans and other heroes, who are in need of transportation in this great country. The Car Santa in Olathe, KS is turning dreams into reality with the help of generous donators. We also get to hear two songs recently released by Travis and his band. You won’t want to miss this episode.

Mike and Serena would like to see Travis Marvin play at Flora-Bama down in Pensacola! Who's coming to hang with us?

“Cars 4 Heroes is not affiliated with Cars 4 Vets, Cars for veterans, or any other organizations that give cars away. We have been around since 1996 helping veterans”

www.cars4heroes.org

www.travismarvin.com

We have talked about networking before, but we have another opportunity for networking, and this this time for women! Mike and Serena chat with Melissa Washington, CEO and Founder of Women Veterans Alliance. "Women Veterans Alliance is a premier national network focused on directly impacting the quality of life of women veterans. We do this successfully through transforming the way the community networks to bring people and programs directly together through a reliable and resourceful platform."

https://www.womenveteransalliance.org/